yo The Canadian Horticulturist. 



RASPBERRY CULTURE. 



•53*2. Sir, — Please give me a little information with regard to raspberry culture for 

 a garden. Is it better to plant them in hills two feet apart and four feet between the rows, 

 or in rows two feet wide and four feet apart in the rows ? Should the four feet space be 

 dug over and manured each year after the plants are established, or deeply hoed and 

 manure put on early in the spring or late in the autumn ? 



A. J. Colli ss Listowel, Out. 



There would be no object in planting raspberries in hills two feet one way 

 and four feet the other. The chief advantage in hill culture of raspberries is 

 ease of cultivation, and, in order to accomplish this, the hills should be planted 

 four feet apart each way. Mr. E. Morden, of Niagara Falls, has adopted this 

 method of planting to very great advantage in cultivation, but, if one has a 

 limited quantity of garden ground, more fruit to the acre will be gained by 

 planting in rows, but these rows should be at least five feet apart for horse culti- 

 vation, and six feet is even better. The plants should not be allowed to spread 

 too widely, as this will leave too much work for the hoe and spade. Indeed, we 

 do not approve of any system of growing raspberries which leaves much hand- 

 work. Of course, it is necessary to use the hoe, but, when once the ground is 

 well occupied with the raspberry bushes, little work will be left for either hoe or 

 spade. It will accomplish every purpose to apply the manure annually after the 

 plants are once established, and it makes very little difference whether it is 

 applied in the spring or fall. 



THE ABUNDANCE PLUM. 



•»:$:> Sir, — Messrs. W. F. Bassett & Son, of Hammonton, N. Y., have a specialty 

 in Japan Plums, in the Abundance in particular. Do you know anything about them, and 

 can i buy them in Canada ? 



J. A. T., Norwich. 



You may be sure, that as soon as any new thing, proved to be a really 

 superior article, our Ontario nurserymen will keep it in stock. Some of the 

 Japan plums promise to be valuable, as, for instance, the Botan (Abundance), 

 but it is not yet fully tested. Mr. T. T. Lyon, director of the South Haven 

 Experiment Station, writes that he is growing it, but his trees are too small to 

 bear fruit, and he knows of no one in Michigan who has fruited it. Mr. S. 1 ). 

 Willard, of Geneva, almost the only one in New York State who has fruited it. 

 writes : — " In reply to yours of the 7th, I have fruited the Abundance plum for 

 four or five years, and find it hardy and productive, of fair quality, and well 

 received in our markets ; but I do not think it equal to the Burbank in produc- 

 tiveness, or to some of the other Japan sorts, as regards quality. But its very 

 beautiful appearance causes it to take well in the city markets." Mr. Yandeman. 

 of Washington, says the Botan is of medium size, heart-shaped and of good 

 quality. 



